Mumtaz Qadri confesses his crime, sent on 14 days Judicial remand

RAWALPINDI: Assassin of late Governor Punjab Salman Taseer, Mumtaz Qadri has confessed to his crime before a special Anti Terrorism Court and has been sent to Adiala Jail on 14 days judicial remand.

Mumtaz Qadri was presented before a special Anti Terrorism court and Judge of Capital Territory Area Islamabad Malik Ikram Awan on Monday one day prior to expiry of his five days physical remand.

The Joint Investigation Team told the court that there was no need to further interrogate Mumtaz Qadri therefore he should be sent to jail on judicial remand. The team further told the court that if needs arises to interrogate from Qadri they would seek for physical remand again. The JIT on the occasion also presented the medical report prepared by District Hospital Rawalpindi and PIMS of Qadri in which he was declared perfectly healthy.

On this the judge Malik Ikram Awan sent Qadri on 14 days judicial remand and adjourned the hearing till Jan 24.

Earlier Qadri under section 164 recorded a confession statement before the Magistrate of killing Governor Salman Taseer. In his statement Qadri said that he had plotted to kill Salman Taseer for his statement regarding blasphemy.

Prior to this the defense layer had objected that since his client did not record any confessional statement therefore no action can be taken against him.

An officer of the JIT told that during investigation it was learnt that Qadri acted alone in plotting and carrying out the act of killing.

On Thursday the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) sent Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer’s Mumtaz Hussain Qadri on a five-day physical remand but has decided to conduct the proceedings in Rawalpindi instead of Islamabad, citing jurisdictional compulsions.

Citing security concerns, the capital territory police and administration had earlier requested Malik Akram Awan, the judge of the ATC Rawalpindi to hold the hearings in Islamabad.